Suspected serial killer pleads not guilty to murder charge

CLINTON, La. (AP) — A suspected serial killer has pleaded not guilty to murder and attempted murder charges in a string of Louisiana shootings that killed three men and wounded a fourth.

The Advocate reports 36-year-old Ryan Sharpe entered his plea Tuesday during his first court appearance since his October arrest.

A grand jury indicted Sharpe on charges including first-degree murder in the three shootings that occurred in East Feliciana Parish. The fourth shooting occurred in neighboring East Baton Rouge Parish.

The shootings occurred in a rural area north of Baton Rouge and left residents on edge for weeks after he first killing in July. The victims were middle-aged or older white men who were shot at their homes or on their property. Sharpe, the owner of a plumbing company, also is white.